The Importance of Setting: Jim Crow America and To Kill A Mockingbird. Miss Gibbons

Cultural Climate of the American South in the 1930’s: The Jim Crow Laws What are the Jim Crow Laws? - Jim Crow is the name given to the racial caste system that existed mostly, but not exclusively, in the south from 1877 to the mid-1960s. - It regarded African Americans as second class citizens and believed that Whites were superior. ( gallery.cgi?collection=crow)

Etiquette Norms  A black man could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a White male because it implied being socially equal. Obviously, a Black male could not offer his hand or any other part of his body to a White woman, because he risked being accused of rape.  Blacks and Whites were not supposed to eat together. If they did eat together, Whites were to be served first, and some sort of partition was to be placed between them.  Under no circumstance was a Black male to offer to light the cigarette of a White female– the gesture implied intimacy.  Blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one another in public, especially kissing, because it offended Whites.  If a Black person rode in a car driven by a White person, the Black person sat in the back seat, or the back of a truck.  White motorists had the right-of-way at all intersections. (Pilgrim 1-2)

Integrated Interactions?  The 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th Amendments granted Blacks the same rights as Whites.  Yet, during this time in the south, these amendments were disregarded.  Jim Crow limits social interaction between Blacks and Whites.  When interaction between the two races was necessary, there were certain guidelines that were expected to be followed: 1. Never assert or even suggest that a White person is lying. 2. Never impute dishonorable intentions to a White person 3. Never suggest that a White person is from an inferior class. 4. Never lay claim to, or over demonstrate, superior knowledge or intelligence. 5. Never curse a White person. 6. Never laugh derisively at a White person. 7. Never comment upon the appearance of a White female. (Pilgrim 2)

Some Examples to Consider… Images taken from:

Consequences of Disobeying - Violence was the vehicle used to enforce the Jim Crow laws. - Blacks who violated the Jim Crow laws risked losing their homes, jobs, and lives. - Lynchings were common and public.